These ornamental crabs are on the corner of my block. The 3 on the left were probably planted in about 1960, maybe earlier, the smaller ones on the right were suckers from the main trees,nurtured and moved there by the owner. Every year about this time we have about one week of this glorious sight, then inevitably a big wind/rain comes along and the blooms are gone! In the fall the little crabs drop and Fancy enjoys munching on them as we pass by on our morning walks the rest of the year!
The property was owned by Bill. Bill bought the little bungalow and a triple lot with a huge greenhouse at the back ( apparently at one time the area was a tree nursery) in the mid 50's. Bill and Ollie raised their family here in the little 2 bedroom house. Bill was in his 70s when I moved in and met him.The greenhouse was full of 'stuff' One of his sons was in the theatre business and you never know when he might need something! Ollie had a stroke and although she recovered fairly well he had to look after pretty well everything. One day, walking down the street with my visiting Mom I had in my hand an old picture my uncle had given us. Bill met us and I introduced Mom and he wanted to know what the piucture was. It happened to be my mothers grandparents and all their adult children. So he wanted to know where it was taken - when Mom told him on the farm at Fleming Sask he asked her maiden name. Turned out he had lived there for a few years and my mothers uncles had coached the hockey team on which he played. I left Bill and Mom having a good chat!
A few years ago they moved into a seniors residence and Ollie died a year later - Bill couldnt look after the property by himself so he sold it and moved in with his son. Now 2 years later there is a duplex and an infill going up and I believe there will be a detached house on the remaining lot. But......what about the trees? Well they happen to be planted on city property, which is about 10-12 feet in from the sidewalk so the developer can't take them down! So - I hope Bill's trees will be a spring sight to behold every year for many years to come!
